What does frowst mean?
Frowst is a chiefly British colloquial word for the warm, stale, stuffy atmosphere that gathers in a room with no through-flow of air. If you have ever pushed open the door of a shut-up parlour on a summer afternoon and been met by a wall of close, overheated air, you have experienced the frowst. The term is almost always deployed with mild complaint or dry humour — 'there's a terrible frowst in here' is a classic prompt to throw open a window — and it pairs naturally with its derivative adjective 'frowsty', which describes rooms or objects redolent of exactly that staleness. The word can also be used as a verb, meaning to linger lazily in such stuffy warmth, though this sense is now rare. Unfamiliar outside Britain, frowst nonetheless rewards learners as one of those small, characterful English words that capture a precise physical sensation no other term quite names.
The warm, stale, stuffy atmosphere of a badly ventilated room.
"It's a bit of a frowst in here — let's get the window open."
Almost always used in informal British speech, typically as a complaint prompting ventilation.
(Rare) To sit or lounge in stuffy warmth; to allow a room to become stuffy.
"They frowsted all afternoon in the overheated back room."
This verbal sense is uncommon today and should be used sparingly.
Pluralises normally when referring to several instances of stuffy air, though singular use is far more typical.
"Each of the shut-up bedrooms had its own particular frowst."
'A bit of a frowst' is how generations of Brits have complained about stuffy rooms — one of those cosy-sounding insults English keeps tucked up its sleeve.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frowst
Frowst appeared in English usage around the mid-eighteenth century. Its exact origin is uncertain, though it is often linked to 'frowsy' (or 'frowzy'), the older adjective describing something unkempt or smelling stale, which likewise has an obscure pedigree. The derivative adjective 'frowsty' developed later and remains the more frequently encountered form of the family today.
Related word forms
How frowst is actually used
Chiefly British and distinctly colloquial; rarely encountered in American English. Almost always used with mild irritation or humour about overheated, poorly aired rooms.
Easily confused with frowst
Frowst refers to the stuffy air itself, while frowsy (also spelled frowzy) describes something dirty, unkempt, or smelling stale — though the two words appear to be related.